


blindspot

by shindouchrono



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Brainwashing, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, no major plot spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-15 03:24:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11222280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shindouchrono/pseuds/shindouchrono
Summary: His gun rests against Panther’s temple. He pulls the trigger, and she falls, lifeless to the ground. “No! Joker – he’s under some sort of spell! Listen to me! We’re not your enemies! JOKER!”





	blindspot

Battle mishaps were more common than Joker would have liked, but they’d learned how to deal with them, as a team - even being ambushed by an unforeseen enemy, racking off their weakness from memory to sweep them off their feet would take mere seconds for the tide to shift in their favor. Not this time. This time, Joker, Skull, Panther, and Fox are pressed up against each other’s backs, there’s not much room for error - or room to move at all, for that matter.

  
Fox is knocked off his feet.

  
“Watch out! The enemy is casting some kind of spell - it’s aimed towards you, Panther!” Mona yells, and there’s a split second for Joker to act, to move in front of Panther and pull out his gun as he does, because it can get these ones on their knees, and, just like that, his vision goes blurry – he can’t control his movements.

  
His gun rests against Panther’s temple. He pulls the trigger, and she falls, lifeless to the ground. “No! Joker – he’s under some sort of spell! Listen to me! We’re not your enemies! JOKER!” Skull acts quickly, pulling his arm back and slamming Joker in the side. He clutches his stomach, hacking – and moves forward, dagger in hand. “Persona! Captain Kidd!” The electricity crackles from his hands, trying, yet failing to connect with Joker.

  
“Arsene.” The color drains from Skull’s face, and he raises his arms to reduce the damage – he collapses, and Joker’s heels clack against the cold floor of Mementos. He’s done this move on shadows before. The blade is drawn across Skull’s throat, smooth – quick. Skull goes limp, and Joker turns around. Fox is finally on his feet, swaying slightly. His jaw is agape, his body gone boneless with fear and shock.

  
“Goemon! Strike!” With a quick movement, Joker moves to summon a different persona, one with ice resistance, rather than weakness – but the shards fly past his face, knocking the enemies out. Fox’s hands are shaking, when he walks over to Joker, who has a blank look on his face; slowly regaining control of his mind and body. The light returns to his eyes. He blinks, and then screams. Fox holds him tightly, and Mona rushes to cast Recarm. Joker has fallen silent, lifeless if not for the shaking in Fox’s arms.

  
Skull’s fingers trace over his neck. He looks over at Panther, sweat dripping down her cheek. “I-It’s okay, man, we’re all right. Everyone’s fine. We’re alive.” He stands, knee jolting. Everyone present is shaking. The only sounds are the howls of Mementos and Joker’s heavy breathing. There’s something in the air. “We should leave.” Fox announces, breaking the silence. They do, and the silence follows them to Shibuya.

  
“I’m sorry.” Akira’s voice cracks. He fidgets with his hair, gaze fixed on the floor. “I – I’m so, so sorry, I – this was…” Ann grabs his hand, tightly. “Akira, it’s okay. We’re all okay. We made it out.” Outside of the Metaverse, Joker’s grin had returned to his normal scowl. When they returned to the real world, Akira’s mask had, as well. His face was nearly unreadable. Collectively, they all knew he needed comfort, some time to be alone. They _all_ needed it. It’s not like this was the first time someone had fallen in battle. It wasn’t going to be the last. Enemies were only going to get stronger.

It didn’t make it any less terrifying.

  
Yusuke insisted on walking with Akira back to Leblanc, to stay the night, to keep him company. He was perceptive enough to know that his boyfriend wouldn’t do well alone, letting himself get tangled up in his own thoughts. They were similar in that respect.

  
Akira was often silent. Either speaking little, or in long paragraphs, word after word. There was never an in between. With Yusuke, there seemed to be an exception. Akira’s head rested on Yusuke’s chest, and though tense, he seemed almost relaxed. Akira could be a touchy person, if prompted, but rarely would he initiate it. His actions paralleled a cat’s. Yusuke pressed a kiss to the top of his head. He smelled like coffee, warmth, and home. “Yusuke?”

  
“Yes, love?” There’s a sigh, and Akira’s hand reaches out for Yusuke’s. His hands are warm – a perfect contrast to Yusuke’s cold ones. Neither of them speak, but it’s comfortable. “I slit his throat. I – I shot Ann in the head. That… that was my doing.” Yusuke doesn’t say anything. Akira continues. “I murdered them. If you hadn’t stopped me, I could have gotten you, too. I could have slaughtered every single one of you.”

  
“I was there.”

  
“You were on the ground, Yusuke. Had you not gotten up, even seconds later, I would have – I would have killed you, too.” Yusuke knows better than to reply. Akira tended to be stubborn, and that stubbornness never faded, even regarding the Metaverse – or conversations such as these. “Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that this isn’t a dream. That fighting in the Metaverse – being phantom thieves – is real. That our battles are real, and that we could lose our lives… in all honesty, my whole life, as of late, has felt… like a dream.”

  
Akira sits up, slouching. “Maybe… it’s because being with all of you, feels like a dream. Like any minute now, I could wake up. That’s sort of silly, yeah?” Yusuke stretches, leaning up against the wall, and shakes his head.

  
“I do believe I feel the same way. As if everything could be gone in the instant that I blink.” Akira’s arms wrap around Yusuke, their faces close. “The lie I had lived for so long has faded. In moments of weakness, my brain yearns for it – but then I remember, the feeling of you. It brings me back to my senses, sets them alert.” He laughs, a low chuckle. “With all of you, I have found a home. A place that I truly belong.” Yusuke presses a kiss on Akira’s cheek.

  
“I… I feel the same way. I’m afraid of losing you all, more than anything else – so, when by my own hands, I... I hurt them, it reminded me that it could happen.” His eyes narrow, furrowed brows concealed by his messy curls. “With the power that we have to reform society, to steal hearts, distorted desires… I’d like to protect all of you with it, as well.”

  
“And I will remain by your side, for as long as you would have me there.” Akira presses his lips gently against Yusuke, his eyes filled with affection.

  
“For eternity, then.”

**Author's Note:**

> When I was playing P5, Joker had gotten brainwashed, and quickly killed both Panther and Skull. I decided to make a fic out of it.  
> If you'd like to come yell at me on twitter, I'm @grimealcultist. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a nice day.


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